


Milk With Tea

by saiyuri_dahlia



Series: Milk and Tea [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, First Dates, M/M, Past Promiscuous Link, Past Relationship Anxieties, Self-Esteem Issues, Touch-Starved Link, Trust Issues, Unlucky in Love Link, fluff with a bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-05 19:20:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20278483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saiyuri_dahlia/pseuds/saiyuri_dahlia
Summary: A new guy means a chance to start anew. Hoping to start things off right, Link wants everything to be different this time around during his first date with Shad, but he can't help but think he's getting lied to again.





	Milk With Tea

**Author's Note:**

> This started as an extended bonus scene from the first part that turned into a full sequel after a rewrite. This part is also why this series has the "fluff with a bit of angst" tag. Originally, this was going to be a T rating, but it got pushed up to an M rating as a precaution. It probably doesn't warrant it but just in case, y'know.
> 
> Eventually I always get to a point during a rewrite that it's either stop and post this now or it'll never see the light of day and that's exactly what happened. As always, thank for reading.

Story Title: Milk With Tea

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Princess.

-o-

Story Title: Milk With Tea

-o-

Feeling butterflies from his stomach all the way up to his head, Link couldn't recall the last time he felt like this going out. It was different from his usual first date feelings. He was nervous with excitement and happy to the point of being giddy-headed, and for once, Link had no idea from the start if the evening was going to end with them having sex. He actually preferred that they didn't. Link really wanted to find love with Shad, so if that meant doing everything differently from his previous relationships so be it.

Still it had been so long since Link had gone out on a chaste date that he wasn't sure how to conduct himself. He was used to guys that didn't care what he said or thought as long as he looked pretty, obeyed orders, and left in the morning. Shad actually wanted to get to know him, which threw him for a bit of a loop. As far as Link knew, dinner conversation was just something to speed the night along before he and the other guy checked into a motel. Going out on a short date was more of a matter of politeness, a social courtesy. Link hadn't had to try hard to charm a guy on a date in forever.

Link was relieved when Shad took him to a restaurant that he had never been to before—the less Link was reminded of the past, the better. There were plenty of regular tables, but along the walls, there were booths, each surrounded by a dark honey-colored frame. At first, Link thought it was weird and unnecessary, but he immediately understood why these tables were built this way once he slipped inside one and sat down.

Because unless they peeked out the latticework or the open doorway, they couldn't see the rest of the restaurant or any other people. No people staring. No loud conversations. Just the two of them. Talking. About family. About favorite movies, books, and especially music. About what their favorite things to do on a lazy day were. About anything and everything. Soft lighting cast a warm amber glow. There was a single green carnation in a small vase on the table close to the wall. Link wished every place surrounded him in a cozy, private box like this.

Link liked summertime for the heat, longer days, and taking off on vacations. Shad favored autumn for the cooler temperatures, longer nights, and walking among the autumn leaves. They both liked rainy days. Link told him about his music projects and about how he wanted to retell each Heroes' journey through their music.

Link hoped that he wasn't boring Shad. He felt like he had so much less going on than him. Shad was going for a double major in History and Linguistics with a minor in Literature with the intention of becoming a museum archivist and a document translator specializing in ancient languages. Shad had a vision of how he was going to achieve his career. Shad had a plan. Link wanted to make music. He was good at making music. He had no clue how to go about making it in the music industry.

That was part of Link's problem, wasn't it? Not a lot of guys wanted to fit the bill for a musician with no direction working a min wage job, even if he was hot. Better to promise him a real relationship and string him along for as many fucks as they could get out of him before he realized that he was never going to get an "I love you".

Damn it, he was doing it again. There was no reason for him to start expecting the worst. The date was going well. They were just talking and making each other laugh, like they always did at the coffee shop. Shad had given him no reason to doubt him, and yet there was this little cynical voice in the back of Link's mind mumbling that it'll all turn out to be lies and that he was just wasting his time. Link couldn't go through the hurt of thinking he had found a boyfriend when he was nothing more than the guy's "stress reliever" again. Calling him that made it sound like you could buy him in a store. Get him half off with a coupon.

Link jumped in his seat as he felt Shad take his hand.

"Did I startle you, old boy?" Shad said, with a tiny laugh. "Pardon me. You did appear to be rather lost in thought."

Link shook his head no. "It wasn't anything important," he lied. If his face had said otherwise, Shad didn't press the matter.

"So how many instruments do you play?" Shad asked.

"I stopped counting after ten," Link said, watching as the pad of Shad's thumb brushed across his knuckles over and over. "Most of them I just know the basics. Y'know, enough know-how to tinker around with the sound."

Link opened up his hand. He uttered a pleased sigh as Shad's fingertips traced his palm lines. Link hadn't been with any guy in four months. It was even longer since the last time a guy had touched him softly. A wave of chills sluiced down his back. It felt so good. It would feel even better sliding on down his spine or across his hipbone.

"Do you play anything?" Link asked, hoping that chatting about music would distract him from other thoughts, namely on how badly he wanted Shad's hands all over his body and how it was a shame that there was a table between them.

"I'm afraid I'm not gifted musically as you are," Shad replied. "I've always been more of an admirer of musicians than someone who aspired to be one."

_ You're __hitting a lot of right notes __with__ me,_ Link thought, flicking his tongue over his lips. "I could teach you."

Oh Hylia, now was not the time to get turned on. But he missed the touch of a partner, getting into rhythm, holding onto one another dearly, those few moments resting pressed against each other's hot, sticky flesh. Sex was the only way Link was able to have his needs met and he was feeling every missed second.

"Now, now, old boy, no need to frustrate yourself. Your time is better utilized composing music others would delight to hear, not showing me the same basic chords a thousand times over."

Deep down, Link had a bit of a selfish streak. That's what he called it. His past partners said he was needy. (Then again half of those guys didn't have the common decency to reciprocate for him, so no wonder.) Link liked to be held, to be kissed, to be touched. None of those things had to be sexual in nature necessarily, but they often were because his past partners didn't see the point of non-sexual touch.

"I wouldn't mind at all. We all start at the beginning," Link said. "I'm always wondering how things sound. I'd like to hear what music you'd make."

Shad made an incredulous snort. "Dissonance and cacophony," he said.

"A voice like yours, I hardly believe that," Link said, with a grin. "I like the timbre of your voice. It's silky and reassuring. It's one of the things that attracted me to you. That and everything else."

The last four months hadn't been easy for Link. He couldn't say how many nights he had laid in bed, unable to sleep, wishing there was someone next to him, even if that person didn't care about him. He had almost gave in and texted one of his exes until he realized that he'd just get used again and his actual needs wouldn't be satisfied anyway. There was no point for him to feel lonely, touch-starved, _and_ disgusted with himself.

Clearly unused to compliments, Shad stammered out a thank you as blood rushed to his freckled cheeks. Link wanted to kiss his face and feel the heat. If he just made an exception for tonight…

No.

Link couldn't get ahead of himself. He couldn't trip into his old habit and fall in love before he knew how the guy really felt about him. Having sex on the first date wasn't the problem, but jumping into bed with guys who didn't want anything else with him was. If he was just sure of what Shad wanted between them, if Link could have faith that Shad was being honest with him…

It wasn't as if Link had any reason to doubt Shad, but he had no way of knowing if he was telling the truth. Feelings weren't easy to fact-check for lies. Even waiting a few weeks from now to be upfront and ask Shad what he wanted the two of them to be wasn't going to help him either. A liar was just going to tell him what he wanted to hear. They always did.

"I'm not positive that you'd really want to hear me sing after you do," Shad said. "However, I would be very happy if you were to play something for me sometime."

But when Link went to bed late with Shad signing off with a sweet good-night and woke up to a good morning well-wish from Shad in the days leading up to their first date, Link wanted to fall for him. It was nice to get to be how he used to be, back before his daily texts became one guy's "nuisance" and "proof that he had too much free time on his hands".

"Or perhaps allow me to hear a sample of the project you've been working on. Trust me. I'll be a much better audience than a student for you."

Link wanted to believe that Shad wanted more than just sex between them, but he had thought the same of so many other guys before him. And all those pretty, charming guys had spoon-fed him lies and memorized lines. Link was tired of it.

Shad's hand came to rest atop of Link's, his fingers clasping his. Those big blue eyes gazed at him with warmth and adoration. Shad smiled as he squeezed Link's hand. Link hoped he was thinking about what was going to make him happy and where they might be two, three months from now—Link wasn't hoping for anything crazy, just that they'd still be happily together.

More than anything else, Link wanted to believe that Shad was different.

-o-

Link and Shad were having a good time, and it wasn't just the pair of drinks in their bellies from dinner. To Link's surprise, Shad had remembered a chat they had at the cafe about Link longing to see the stars in the city and took him to see a show at the planetarium. Confusing it for a lecture at first, Link had been worried that he wasn't going to be able to follow the technical stuff for too long until the lights went off and the music came on.

The show was beautiful, and on top of that, they were lucky to come on a night that the planetarium had a real star fragment on display. Link wanting to see stars in the city was just a casual mention, a bit of nostalgia for the skies back home, but Shad had listened and wow, he had really ran with the idea. Link didn't know if it was the liquor talking or the orange and gold starlight, but there really was magic left in the world. He could feel it. He looked over to see if Shad felt it too.

And he was looking at him. And not in the way that all the other guys had ever looked at him. He seemed in awe of him. Breathless. Link captivated him more than the celestial space rock right in front of him.

Link didn't know what to say, partially because Shad was gorgeous, cast in the sunset glow of the star, reflected in his eyes. All he could think about was how he couldn't screw this up. Shad might be the one.

-o-

"The sky is remarkably clear tonight," Shad remarked, as they walked along the lit sidewalks on their way to the parking garage. "Look now, straight above the radio tower in the distance. You can see the tail end of the constellation Volvagia."

Link wished this night didn't have to end. He should have wished on the star fragment at the planetarium. That would've worked, right? This was a wonderful night. If it wasn't for the fact that Link was trying to break his old habits, he probably, definitely would have given Shad a very generous thank-you before the date was over. At least Link didn't have to worry about this being nothing more than a one-nighter.

"My flat isn't too far from here," Shad casually mentioned. "If you're not yet ready to call it a night, how about we make our way there? My balcony will permit us a better view of the night sky."

The pit of Link's stomach dropped right onto a knife. How many times had Link heard that before? _"Come back to my place. Let's have a drink._ ._..__How about a kiss?" _Link knew where this ended. Where it always ended. Link was so tired of playing the same song on repeat. Was he really only good for sex?

Of course, he could say no. The out was there, but why fight the inevitable? Why disappoint? Being nice and attentive, getting him all hot in the restaurant, literally showing him the stars, and having an amazing first date, it was all according to plan. What was next on the docket? A little more playing pretend, drunk sex, waking up the next morning with the unspoken orders that he should hurry on out, and get told that he'd text him the next time he wanted to meet up. Why say no to that? It was going to happen. It always did. Nothing was ever different.

"Sure," Link said, putting on a smile and pretending that he was okay.

Shad really had him believing. Pretending to care about him, building him up to feel better about himself, all the while painting himself as an irresistibly likable guy… Even with all his past experiences in dealing with liars, Shad had still fooled him.

Link guessed he really shouldn't be all that surprised. He had been waiting for this moment. The jerks in sheep's clothing he had gone out with had often lied to him for months. A week was nothing. A week was just laying down the groundwork to sucker him in.

It always hurt to be lied to, but this time hurt so much more. Because Shad wasn't any different, and Link had hoped he was.

-o-

Shad lived off-campus in an apartment by himself. His apartment was not grand, by any means, but it had a lot more room than Link was used to. A couple could live here snugly through their college years, letting their love grow until their lives needed more space or their careers required a change of locale, not that Shad was ever going to ask him to move in with him. There wasn't even a certainty that he was ever going to be invited back to his place after tonight. Link had no idea why he was imagining the two of them living together. It was just to amuse himself, he guessed. A lie to help him put a smile on his face.

Shad had a nice view of the river and the skyline, but there weren't too many stars visible. No shock there. His place was impeccably tidy and smelled of vanilla. Outside leaning on the balcony railing, Link half-jokingly wondered whether or not he should go ahead and make his way to his bedroom.

"Something the matter, old boy? You were terribly quiet on the way here," Shad said, joining him outside.

"No. Nothing. It's fine," Link said in a tone of voice that said that nothing was fine. "No, really, I get it."

"I'm glad you do because I'm positively befuddled at the moment," Shad said. He laid a hand on Link's forearm, and Link quickly slid away from him. He didn't go very far but he moved far enough for Shad to get the message. "Please, tell me what is wrong."

Link wasn't sure which one of them he was more angry with—Shad or himself. It wasn't like Link hadn't spent half the night mentally making out with Shad. Hell, not even five seconds before Shad had asked him to come back to his place, Link was seriously reconsidering his new policy of getting to know a guy before he slept with them. Shad hadn't exactly lied to him yet. Nothing that he had caught him up in. As far as Link knew, Shad just wanted to have sex with him, but both of them wanting to have sex with each other wasn't the problem.

"I just wish you had been upfront with me," Link said, keeping his eyes out on the river and refusing to face Shad. "You didn't have to go to all that trouble tonight if all you wanted was sex. I get it. Happens all the time. I just thought—"

"N-Not at all!" Shad interrupted quickly, his voice momentarily higher-pitched. "One day, yes, most assuredly when the time is right, but certainly not right now this instant." He chuckled nervously. "...A bit hasty, don't you think?"

Link was thunderstruck. He looked at Shad. He was blushing. "...You didn't ask me to come back to your place to have sex?"

"No. Honestly, I'm curious as to how you arrived at that conclusion—" And then his eyes opened wider as the realization dawned on him. "This has happened before."

Too many times than Link could count was how many times this had happened before.

"My apologies, old boy. It was not my intention to stir up the past," Shad said. "We were getting on so well. I just wanted to spend some more time with you. It was selfish of me."

"No, no, I jumped to conclusions. I..." Their date had been going wonderfully, and Shad had harmlessly asked him to come over, not knowing he was opening a box of crazy. Link took a deep breath. "Let me level with you. I've been with a lot of guys. Mostly hookups. I know that if you ask around, they'll tell you I'm the campus bicycle. And I was. It's why I'm single. Everyone's had me so no one wants me."

Link smiled as if what he had just said was funny. Shad didn't find it humorous. Neither did Link.

"I've never really dated before," Link continued. "It was always about sex. Oh, guys promised me a relationship and then never made true on their word. I was always the friend with benefits. Or the side piece."

"You asked me to come back to your place and I just..." Link looked away. His words caught in his throat and went down roughly. "I thought you were like them. I thought nothing was different. I flashed forward a couple months to you telling me we weren't serious, and it was just sex, and nothing was true for you. I feel terrible that I doubted you, that I lumped you in with them, but the nicest guys were the most convincing liars."

He could feel his eyes begin to mist over, so Link spoke faster. "I like you and I want a relationship. I don't want a promise of one. No boyfriends in bed, just friends in public. I don't want to matter only when it's convenient." His chin quivered. "I'm not just the guy that's good for a good time. I can be a good boyfriend."

He was good for other things than sex. Or, well, that was what he wanted to say but couldn't make it in time.

Oh Goddesses, Link was so embarrassed. Unloading a plane's cargo deck amount of emotional baggage on a first date was never a good move. Link tried wiping his eyes clear with the palm of his hand and his nose on the back of his hand. He didn't even know when he had started crying.

Link gasped as Shad pulled him toward him into a hug. Returning the affection, Link buried his nose in between his pecs, with the center dip of his chest giving him just enough space to breathe.

The physical sensation of being held was what Link always wanted, what he craved. His face was too hot to enjoy his warmth, but he enjoyed Shad's closeness—his hands laying around his waist and on the small of his back, the rise and fall of his breaths—and oh Goddesses, his clothes smelled like the good summer meadow detergent Link liked but only got when it was on sale (so practically never) because it was a little above what he could spend. He knew it was a silly thing to focus on, but the nice scent calmed him down and made him smile just a little bit. He could settle in right here. It all felt so right.

Which was why Link had to step back, much as he didn't want to separate. Link knew how selfish he could be, how clingy he was. The last thing he wanted to do was annoy Shad with how affectionate he was, like he had done with all his past boyfriends. Shad caught him by the elbows as he stepped back. Link stopped. Shad didn't seem to want them to part either.

"I'm sorry my crazy is ruining our date," Link said. "I'll understand if you wanna rethink going out with me."

"Well, yes, I have been rethinking our next date," Shad said. Link wasn't surprised, but his heart felt sliced in two nonetheless. "Mostly I can't decide where I want to go with you next."

Link's mouth formed a tiny circle in stunned silence.

"I'm sorry, that was absolutely terrible of me," he said, with an apologetic smile, as he gently swept away a tear stuck on Link's cheek. "Honestly, I'm quite dumbfounded that any guy would treat you that way. Why wouldn't any guy want to be be with you? You're sweet and brilliant. And funny. And adventurous. It can't just be a matter of your previous partners."

"Apparently, I'm not the kind of guy you commit to."

"How so?"

Link shrugged his shoulders. "Guys who wanna run Fortune 500 companies don't settle down with a DJ. Or that's what I've been told."

Shad furrowed his brow in confusion. "But you aren't a DJ."

No, Link wasn't. And Shad didn't need to be explained the difference. A soft smile stretched across his face. "You have no idea how glad I am that you understand that."

There were so many ways Link's confession could have ended any chance he had with Shad. He could have been turned away by Link opening up too much too soon, or taken issue with how many guys Link had been with, or just didn't want to rush into a relationship with him after only one date. Instead, Shad was grateful that he had told him. And he wasn't leaving him.

Upon a second look, Link noticed that they were able to see quite a few stars from Shad's balcony.

If only Shad had a dog, then he would be perfect, Link joked to himself. Half-joked, really. He was sure that one day they were going to get a dog. Maybe one of those Snowpeak shepherd-wolf mixes.

Of course, Link had liked all of the guys he had dated (at first), but this was the first time he had felt like this—all bright and bubbly and hopeful, his heart feeling alight and yet swaddled in silk. He was willing to trust that Shad was telling him the truth.

But the not-so-cynical voice was still pestering Link with a question. "Why did you want me to come back to your place then?"

"You might find this silly, but..." Shad bashfully looked down and then back up at Link. "Tonight is the Parade of Heroes, the largest summer meteor shower visible in our hemisphere. People used to believe that each shooting star was the soul of a previous Hero. Now all of that may be legends to us now, but the meteor shower is still quite the spectacle. ...I was hoping that you would like to stay over and watch it with me. If you want to. It does begin around 1am." Shad already knew that Link didn't have work tomorrow.

He was such a cute dork. And maybe Shad was also the right balance of different from Link and was just similar enough in the ways that mattered.

Those big, beautiful, hopeful blue eyes of Shad's were all on him. Link wanted to plant a kiss on his forehead just under his single curl. "Yeah, I'll stay."

Shad nodded as he smiled rather tight-lipped. He was no doubt trying to keep from looking like a moon-eyed goof. Link knew the feeling.

"We still have a couple hours before the meteor shower gets underway, I was thinking about deciding together on a movie and snuggling on the sofa," he suggested, motioning that they head inside.

Hearing Shad suggest that they hang out and cuddle was music to Link's ears.


End file.
